Substituting hydrocarbon (hereinafter “HC”) refrigerants for a fleon one as a refrigerant in a refrigerating cycle has recently been proposed from a viewpoint of environmental protection. Since the HC refrigerant is flammable, a refrigerator employing the HC refrigerant is provided with security countermeasures so that electric components remain safe even upon occurrence of gas leak in view of refrigerant leak.
However, the refrigerant stays in the refrigerator when having leaked from a conduit near an evaporator installed in the refrigerator. The refrigerant flows out of the refrigerator when a door thereof has been opened. Further, when having leaked from a conduit outside the refrigerator, the refrigerant flows directly outside the refrigerator, whereupon the flammable refrigerant leaks out of the refrigerator.
The present invention was made in view of the foregoing circumstances and an object thereof is to provide a refrigerator in which when a hole resulting in leak of the refrigerant has occurred in a refrigerating cycle, such an occurrence of the hole is detected so that alarming can be carried out.